The two best low cost (high QPR) balsamics that are mentioned frequently on Chow are PC and Kirkland.I don't have the PC on hand but the Kirkland, at $13/litre, is aged in Modena, and is rated 4 leaf (highest) on the label by a quality group in Modena.

Kirkland is, in my opinion, the best value for everyday use. Yes, it's the Costco brand. I always keep a bottle of something a little more special for specific fancypants uses (like drizzling over strawberries or pannacotta or very excellent tomatoes) but don't use that for marinades or salad dressing.

Oh yes. I've tried drizzling over strawberries as well. It was very good. I used a cherry balsamic vinegar from Oliver & co.. It's such a unique flavour, I'm not sure what else to use it for aside from dressing and dipping fruit.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I'm going to try the Kirkland brand based on the votes so far.

No one seems to ask the most pertinent question?! How much money are you willing to spend?! For a 200ml bottle say, one can spend around $30+ for a 10-15 years old Modena to over $300 for a 25-50 years old bottle! McEwan has a $500 bottle in its display unit! These latter sweet ones can be consumed like desserts with Strawberries etc.

I've found the Pusateri's Reserve to represent a good balance between quality and value. It's a 250 ml bottle, often out of stock but available for tasting when they've got it. I can't recall the price though. It's not horribly expensive.

That said, I just happened to pick up a bottle of the PC Premium Aged balsamic today. It's also 250 ml, it's extremely good, and it was somewhere around $10. Very highly recommended! It has a red "improved" statement on the label.

There's also a trick you can use with many cheap balsamics. Be sure the only ingredients are wine vinegar and grape must. If you reduce it, you can make a $4 balsamic taste like a much better one. You must have good kitchen ventilation to do this.

I bought both the Kirkland and PC Premium Aged Balsamic vinegars. I tried the Kirland brand today and used it to make a dressing for my salad and it was very good. It was very aromatic and strong in flavour yet smooth at the same time. It ended with a sweet note. Very nice. I liked it a lot. I can't wait to try the PC Brand vinegar.